


RE: Scar tells tales

by sommer_annie



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: BAMF Lucy Heartfilia, Comedy, Fluff and Angst, I will probably update the tags as I continue, Lucy Leaves Fairy Tail, Lucy and Gray are best friends, Multi, Protective Gray Fullbuster, alternative universe, and so does gray
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24290014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sommer_annie/pseuds/sommer_annie
Summary: The usual and fun cliche of Lucy slowly being forgotten with the return of Lisanna. She and Gray went on a month long journey for self-discovery, and when they returned, Fairy Tail could easily see how the duo changed now that they have returned for a visit.[Massive AU, forget everything pass the Edolas arc.]
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster & Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	1. The passing month

**Author's Note:**

> I'm transferring this from Fanfiction.net while adding some new things. This is actually a rewrite of a 2015 fanfiction that is totally revamped and revised. There probably won't be any consists updates for this story since this is more of a fun exercise to think up my creativity.

**The passing month**

Lucy left the guild about a month ago. Old man Makarov who was the master of a guild called Fairy Tail was sitting at the bar as he drowned his liquor. He thought back to the young blonde woman and he couldn't help but wondered how she was doing. In the month she left, she hadn't sent any letters . However, in turn hardly anyone in the guild talked about the blonde woman, or even asked where she was.

It was the same for Gray, he suddenly left around the same time Lucy quit.

Makarov remembered how crushed he felt when the pair walked up to his office with heavy hearts. He knew that Lucy felt left out since Lisanna arrived back from Edolas, after years of thinking and believing that she died. Until she finally came back home on that fateful rainy day. More and more flocked to the young white-haired woman, more time was spent on her, while Lucy sat by staring aimlessly at the window.

Lucy was lonely, with everyone too focused on the young short-white haired girl. Actuallity he should had corrected himself, she was almost lonely if it wasn't for Gray. In the weeks after Lisanna's return, the two sat together by the bar with some occasional glares from the water-mage Juvia giving jealous glares at the blonde haired woman. Other than that, they were left to their own businesses.

He should had noticed when the two slowly stopped taking quests from the board. He should had noticed when he no longer saw the celestial spirit Plue in her arms. Everyone should have noticed this, and yet they didn't.

Juvia, Cana and Levy went off on a week-long quest in the northern boarders, Happy and Natsu were off on another lead on Igneel's whereabouts. Erza had another S-class type quest, Gajeel was on a training spree with Patherlily. Wendy hadn't known Gray and Lucy well enough to be concerned. Mirajane and Elfman understandably spent all their time on their long-lost younger sister.

Then one day, Lucy and Gray walked to his office, sat by his desk doing his usual paperwork. Makarov grimly remembered when he lifted his eyes up from his paperwork, their sullen and tired looks. At that instance, worry flooded into his old heart and he felt a deep sinking feeling in the pits of his stomach.

Gray looked like he hadn't sleep in years, his spiky black hair was a tangled mess, it resembled more of a bird's nest if anything. Lucy looked so lost, with the way she conducts herself, no confidence in herself, her hand on her right arm as if to shied herself. She looked as if there wasn't a clear path for her to journey across. Her shoulder-length blonde hair that was usually tied by ribbons into a side ponytail was let loose. Her skin looked paler than the last time he saw her.

"My children, what is the matter?" Makarov asked as Gray closed the door from behind. The two walked and stood in front of his desk, straight and tall, yet defeated. Their eyes no longer have that youthful spark when they first arrived at the guild.

Lucy tried to speak, her mouth opening and then closing as she struggled to form her words. 

"We want to quit the guild." Gray spoke first.

Makarov looked as if he was slapped to the face. He couldn't find a clear answer, as to why the two decided to leave suddenly. "Why my children?"

"I can't..." Lucy chocked, unabled to answer for him. Her bangs covered and hid her face as she looked down to the ground. Her fists by her sides tightly clenched, but the old man knew that she barely held onto her tears. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"It is the same for me." Gray solemnly agreed with his friend's words, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. They looked briefy at each out before they turned back to the elderly master. "But I guess we just need some... self-discovery... to find ourselves again."

"I understand." At that moment, the pink mark on her hand fades away and the old master knew that the dark-blue mark on Gray's chest disappeared as well. He watched as the two gave their final bow and thanks.

"Remember this before you leave. One, you must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live."

"Two, you must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain."

"Three, though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might, you must never consider your own life to be something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends who loved you."

They exited his office, and eventually the guild. It was the last time he saw them ever again. One passing month felt like ten long years.

* * *

When news travelled that Gray had officially left the guild, it spread like wild fire and in turn they too learned of Lucy's departure. Questions were asked, answers were demanded but Makarov's answer didn't satisfy them. It couldn't even satisfy himself as well, b

Self-discovery. What did Gray mean? Did something come up? Was it bad enough that it caused the two to leave the guild out of a blue upright?

Then more answers came when Loke walked into the guild to ask why Lucy suddenly ceased all her contracts with her Celestial Spirits and buried all of her keys a disclosed area locked under a box. However, over time their worries died down, knowing that Gray was by Lucy's side, if anything were to happen then Gray can easily protect Lucy. A full month has passed and everything resumed as if the two never left.

Except Loke, he wonders in and out of the guild waiting for his former master and friend to come back. Although the blonde mage had broken off from all of her contracts with her spirits, they still waited for her, still loyal to her. Even Aquarius waited. They waited and waited, they waited for the blonde mage to return if ever. 

He sat at the front, day in and day out, eagerly and patiently waiting for the blonde mage to return. His eyes never left the door, even as his hope wavered.

"I wonder if they would come back..." Lisanna mumbled to herself. Erza nodded as she ate her favourite slice of strawberry shortcake. It tasted less sweet than before. "I'm worried for Loke." 

"Yeah, poor guy has't move from that spot in ages." Levy chimed in, as she looked back to the celestial spirit still sitting in that exact spot everyday, like a loyal dog for his owner to come back. 

"Where did that ice-brain go!?" Natsu childishly demanded as he slammed the table.

"Awwwwwww~ I didn't know that you worried so much for him Natsu." Lisanna playful teased with the Fire Dragon Slayer mage, while the other tried to deny it, key-word tried. Before Erza could lecture on the pink-haired mage, she swore that she heard something heading their way.

"... Guys? Do you hear that?"

"Natsu, you have good ears. What do you hear?" Levy 

"Vodka!" A male's voice suddenly called out from outside.

'What the...' Much of the guild caught attention on the voice.

"Whiskey!" This time a woman's voice called out.

"Vodka!" The man screamed back.

"Whiskey!" And the woman did the same.

Then came running into the guild, two persons with their shoulders attached together came bursting into the eating hall in a sprint. One person with blonde hair and the other with black hair were butting heads with each other before they tripped in the middle of the hall. The duo started to wrestle with each other.

"Whiskey!"

"Vodka!"

The duo screamed at the top of their lungs once more. Eventually they stood on their feet but were still deep into their shouting match. It was a man and a woman.

'A couple's quarrel?' Levy thought as she began to watch, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of the interaction. Laxus was amused that he wished to have some popcorn as he watched.

"Whiskey is the better drink than your tasteless shit! It's aromatic oil give its signature smoky flavour. Therefore, it will become even more flavourful when you add water! " The blonde woman screamed, before she could lunge forward, she was held at bay by the man who grabbed both of her wrists.

The woman had golden blonde hair as the sun that reached to her mid-back. She wore a dark forest-green jumpsuit with a white tank-top underneath, finishing up was with a pair of boots. Her eyes were chocolate brown, and Levy liked to add that her chest was small. The reason why Levy noticed that particular fact was because almost every female mage in the guild was loaded, she couldn't help but already feel a sense of comradery for this blonde woman.

"No! Vodka is with it's character, it is like a great aria in an opera. A great vodka is smooth with a creamy texture, it has finesse and a long finish." The black-haired man yelled as she drew his face closer down onto the woman. "And why the fuck should you dilute your drink just to make it more tasteful?!"

The man had black curly hair that was a mess. He wore a militaristic grey coat, underneath were some white trousers and knee-high black boots. Gajeel caught on the man's bitter and metallic smell, no- on the both of them.

"Nail polish remover!"

"Charcoal water!"

The two were literally banging their heads together as they snarled their teeth out at each other.

"Screw you and your rotten potato juice!" The angry blonde screamed as she pulled the finger to the man with black hair that resembled more of a messy bird's nest.

"And stick that cereal juice up your ass!" The man screamed back at the top of his lungs. Cana covered the ears of the Air Dragon Slayer, even though it did nothing because of her enhanced dragon-like hearing as she madly blushed by the vulgar lang.

Erza came up to the pair. "Take your fight outside, you can't just suddenly come here with a fight-"

"Stay out of this!" The two yelled as they both land a kick against Erza and send her flying. The guild watched in shock, almost all their mouths were gaped wide opened like goldfishes and they quickly feared for the duo's lives. Erza was in shock after she recovered from the combined kicks, so shocked that she froze and stayed to watch the show.

Nobody notices as they focused on the pair fighting, Gajeel and Wendy noticed another woman with blonde hair walking up from behind. She held a small frown, but overall, she has a neutral expression. The still-fighting pair still hadn't notice her presence, until it was too late. She pinched and pulled hard at their respective ears.

"Uncle! Uncle!" The man cried out with tears starting to form around his eyes. "Uncle! I yield! I yield!"

"Owowoowowow!" The woman winced in pain as her ear was harshly pulled. "Owwwwwwww! Please let go."

"I look away for five minutes. And find the two of you fighting, again." Another woman came into the picture, she walked forward to the guild master of Fairy Tail and dragging the colourful duo along for the ride by the ear.

For a moment, Makarov thought that Lucy had finally came back but that was quickly set aside when he realised that the woman looked much older than the young 17 year old.

The woman looked to be in her thirties, she had long blonde hair that reached near her waist. Her brown eyes were the coldest and calculated brown eyes Makarov had ever seen. No... He shouldn't have described them as cold, instead they were more tired, as if she had seen the worst of humanity time and time again. The X-shaped scar on her right cheeks tells of many tales.

However, they were calculating as she scanned and analysed her surrounding area, to find any shred of fault as she looked to the layout. Her foot-steps felt calculated and in controlled, her low-heel black shoes clanked sounded louder as she walked. She wore a long white thing coat that was unbuttoned, a light-blue shirt underneath matching with charcoal grey pants. The steps of her heels were clanked even louder when the entire guild was silent and invested of the scene in front of them.

"Now. Behave." The woman with the cheek scar darkly worded, the other blonde woman and black-haired man shivered in fear and much of the guild felt a cold chill going down their spines. She released her hold on the duo's ears.

"Yes Ms X!" The two muttered fearfully, they wrapped their arms around their shoulders to signal their comradeship. That particular scene was very familiar and was very common within the guild. The blonde and black-haired duo quivered under the gaze of the scar-faced woman whose aura spoke of maturity and professionalism.

"I apologise for the two's lack of professionalism and tact." The woman spoke to Makarov, she eyed down at the tiny man, he could sense the distaste for him from her eyes. "However, these two are growing to be the best in their fields I have ever seen."

Makarov however was a professional as well, at least when it is most convenient. "No worries! It isn't Fairy Tail without a fight here and there." He gave a grandfatherly and toothy grin, followed along with some laughter. She wasn't taking it.

"Yes." 'Ms X' didn't hid her distaste in his words. The old master of Fairy Tail could tell that she conducts herself very seriously. "Or so I have heard."

"Now, who would our colourful duo be?" Makarov turned to the pair and now saw that the two looked very similar. The soft shape of the woman's chocolate brown eyes and the sharp jawline of the man who both stared at the old master.

He failed to noticed of how Loke was staring at the blonde haired woman. 'Can it be? Could it be?'

"You forgotten us master?" The man said, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The woman who loudly proclaimed her love for whiskey, she sheepishly laughed. "Hahahha. It's us, Lucy and Gray."

'... What?' That the what almost the entire guild thought.

"It can't be..." Levy voiced and the whispers soon followed afterwards. "Lu?"

"Is that really her?" A mage asked his friend.

'... Wow, you can change a lot within a month.' Laxus thought as he looked at the pair's appearance. He couldn't help but eyed at her chest, which was much small than what he swore he remembered from last month. Not to sound creepy, but it just was.

"Welcome back my children." Makarov said with a smile and some tears in his old eyes.

Gray looked around the guild. "I see that nothing has changed around here, but then again it has only been a month. It felt like ten years for me." That resulted in some laughter.

Makarov boomed in laughter. "No big chances, it has been the same as usual." He summoned the stamp on his dominant hand. "Now, would you like it back in the old spot."

He waited an answer to come, Lucy looked as she were processing of what he just said and had no idea how to respond. When she realised that she was making a scene, she nervously started to scratch the back of her head. "Sorry about that, I forgot that I even had this arm."

Lucy laughed, the guild turned white as snow. Makarov was the same but he added with a jaw wide opened. The other woman kept to her neutral expression.

"You know, you have got to stop doing that joke." Gray said as he pinched at her left cheek.

Lucy was about to scream, but she pulled herseld away from his hand and instead smugly smirked. "Only when you stop that limp of yours." Lucy elbowed at his ribs.

"Behave." The woman strictly spoke out once more and the two quicken stiffened, shut their mouths and straightened their pose.

"Unfortunately, they cannot re-join your guild for a multitude of reasons." The woman Lucy and Ivan called 'X' coldly remarked. "Sorry to say Fairy, but they are with me. We are a new guild so you haven't heard of us. I think I shouldn't say what, it would spoil the fun."

"V-We joined another guild." Lucy's words shocked the entire guild. "Ja, I mean... I think I found something I really want to do." Next to her side was Gray, he nodded along to her words.

"What did you find in your month long journey." Makarov asked with curiosity.

"A sense of purpose." The two answered without conviction, their eyes raged with fire and their minds were clear as they stood strong and firm. "A sense of duty."

'But not a sense of family?' Mirajane thought of the words Lucy and Gray didn't speak of.

The she thought she imagined it, but the woman with the cheek scar briefly smiled before that turned upside-down. X kept to a thin frown with arms crossed over her chest, but Makarov could easily tell that it wasn't because of the former mage members. She didn't want to be there, as such as she bared a bored face, there was clear pent-up anger and hatred burning her brown eyes.

That woman swiftly turned around for the exit. "If you need to call, call Leon because most likely I'm working. And do try to apologise to the woman you just kicked. Even if she is a Fairy."

"Yes Miss X!"

"You know, I thought it was Ruby." Gray whispered to his blonde female friend as they walked over to Erza.

"Hear-hear." Lucy nodded. She extended a hand out to the scarlet mage. "Sorry about that Erza."

Makarov couldn't help but smile, the month-long journey the two took part had the two grew closer together, like brothers.

"And by the way." X spoke out once more, her back still faced towards them, and quickly the two straightened themselves up again. 

"Try not to perform a Hachi on your pet again, he looks close to crying right about now." And X walked away, leaving behind a very confused Gray and Lucy.

X didn't stay and watch as Loke rushed over to Lucy, giving her a big hug. But what she could hear was Loke's sobs, happy to see his former master once more. And she could imagine Lucy returning the hug, with Gray beside her with a wide smile.

"There there Loke, I'm here now." 

* * *

'X' strived forward gracefully and barely spare a glance to the Fairy Tail mages. She did spare a look to Wendy, the youngest Dragon Slayer mage of the guild, before turning away and exiting the guild. The young blue-haired girl didn't like how the woman smelled, with how it assaulted her nose. Her scent was infused with a strong unpleasant smell to her sensitive nose, like chemicals and disinfectnat. It was a sickening and nauseating smell, too clean and too sweet. 

She passed by the white cat named Carla who sat beside the little girl and in that moment a vision flashed by thanks to her precognition ability. Screams of anger rang through her mind, cries of despair echoed in her ears. Images filled up her mind as they quickly rushed through.

A dissapointing and disapproving face, as he shook his head. A broken promise.

 _"Put out their cursed fire!"_ Numerous voices cried out.

Flames raging on, they burn into the night, so brightly that the sky was blood red. A woman with terrible burns on her face, she looks to be laughing and sobbing. A group sit in the cargo, a man looked down to his friend, holding onto his hand as he couldn't bear to be separated. A man with short blonde hair slams a book shut because he couldn't bear to its' horrific images any longer. 

_"Rip out their wings!"_ A crowd screamed for vengance.

A boy around Wendy's age was crying and clutching his shirt. A woman with a scar hugging and crying over two children with a sad smile, their hair red as rose and green eyes like jade. A woman screams into a buddled cloth. Children crying as they were led into the tents. Many lay on the floors, looking as if they hadn't slept in days. A tree stands alone as it is surrounded by carnage and destruction

 _"Erase their name!"_ Fists raised in the air.

Gray with burns on the left side of his face, with a tired look as he passes a cigarette. Lucy crying as she peers over a small window. Laxus, looking to be overwhelming with grief and guilt as he looks over to the bags as they lay on the ground, he couldn't count them all.

 _"Purge their existence!"_ The crowd asked for blood.

Carla snapped out from her vision in a cold-sweat. She need, at that moment that something horrible was going to occur. And she feared for the upcoming and inevitable future, she prayed that Fairy Tail will endure this trial.

But she couldn't drown out the final voice.

"Glory... TO THE HEAVENLY MASTER!"


	2. A friendly conversation

**A friendly conversation**

"Sorry about that kick earlier." Gray apologised with a warily smile, he nervously scratched the back of his head. He, Erza, and Levy sat at the same table.

Erza and Levy was still in amazement that this was Gray Fullbuster, he was only gone for a month and already changed so much. His then spiky hair was now a flat yet bouncy and curly mop of black hair. It was kind of cute, and Juvia hiding in the background approved.

He slides down two plates with perfect slices of strawberry shortcake. Beside him was Lucy, carrying two plates of food and sat next to him. It was dinner time and for today's meal, it was chicken schnitzel topped with a streaming pool of pepper-gravy and a side of fresh chips and salad in Caesar dressing.

"We thought you were somebody else in the heat of the moment." Lucy added as she set hers and Gray's cutlery beside their dish. "I'm so sorry about that."

Loke wasn't around because Lucy insisted that he should take a break back in the Celestial World and that she would still be around for the time being. After he hesistantly peeled himself way from his former master, he went back to his home-world to speak of the good news. 

The black-haired mage nodded. "And so, as a sorry gift, me and Lucy gifted you four more boxes of cake from that bakery you like. Along with the extra two slices of cake in front of you." He said as he gestured to the boxes on his left, of which Erza presumed inside to have more of her favourite cake.

"You are forgiven." Erza didn't hesitate, and she immediately opened the box and squealed in delight to find that it was strawberry shortcake. She then proceeded to consume it along with her two slices.

"Where are you going to stay?" Levy asked the pair. "I don't think you are going to stay at Lu-chan's old place."

Gray shrugged. "I'm probably going to crash here for tonight, me and the alcoholic with shit taste beside me will find an apartment tomorrow."

"O' my dear friend, on the contrary." Lucy said as she flicked the back of Gray's ear. She then pulled a clear plastic bag filled with bon-bon candies. She placed the bag on the table, she picked one and unwrap its plain wrapping.

She popped the candy into her mouth. "You're the one with the bad taste. Remember that one-time Kain accidently took your drink, spat it out at the lounge area, screaming _'oh gawd it burns'_ and _'who drinks this shit'_." She playfully as well as mockingly jested.

"And might I reminded you that Kain only recently could legally drink?" Gray reminded Lucy with a strained twitching smile.

They stared at each other, eyes narrowed, everyone could had sworn that they saw sparks sparking as they eyed at each other. During the staring contest, Levy decided that she might as well snatch a couple of candies from Lucy.

Their heads snapped back to the sounds of wrapping paper, and it wasn't coming from Lucy. Levy popped the candy into her mouth.

"Wait! Don't eat that!" Lucy tried to warn her of the blue-haired female. "They're-"

Lucy cried out a little bit too late, because Levy immediately spat out the candy. She was caught off-guard as her mouth was filled with a strange strong palette, it was bitter, smoky and it had a hit of spice to it.

"... Whiskey flavoured bonbons."

Levy, in what Gray could best described was having a coughing fit. She stuck out her tongue as she tried to spit out the taste from her mouth, with small tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Oh gawd it burns, who eats this!?" Levy cried out.

"I told you that you have shit taste." Gray smugly smirked, he rested his cheek with his hand and he flicked back at Lucy's ear. Levy could still taste the musky bitterness as she tried to clean her tongue.

"Shut up, you know that Levy can't handle her alcohol." Lucy harshly whispered backs as she pushed her glass of water towards the blue-haired female. Gray looked to the blonde-haired female, his eyebrow arched up as he smugly smiled towards her.

Lucy's brown eyes slightly widened at its implication. 'Oh, now I see it.' She smiled a bit back. "Well played my friend, well played."

The table watched as Levy finally rushed to snatch Lucy's glass of water before she desperately tried to wash the aftertaste. Gray sighed. "I could never get why you like that sort of shit." He asked but the blonde shrugged off his comment as she casually popped one into her mouth.

"I could say the same for you and your hidden flask of vodka in that secret pocket of yours." She gave a side-glare at the male. "By the way, its in breast pocket you stitched up behind that coat of yours." And the male glared back.

'Are they going to fight again?' Erza immediately thought, this time well prepared to stop it.

And then Gray and Lucy sighed together before Erza could stand up. "Rose gummi?" The blonde-haired female asked, she pulled out a pre-packaged filled with pink gummi bears from her pockets.

"Rosé gummi." Gray nodded and the two decided to go in for the bears.

'They must have bonded a much for the month they have gone.' Levi and Erza thought as they watched the duo snack on the candy. And they ignored of a certain jealous water-mage that was hiding behind one of the wooden pillars that was death-glaring at a certain blonde-haired female.

"Can I eat those as well?" Levy was curious of the gummi candy, she was itching to pick one up and it was very tempting.

"Those are alcoholic as well, but I think most of the alcohol has burned off." Gray said after swallowing. "Unless you like the taste of a rosé, be my guest."

'How many do you even have?' Levy couldn't help but stare in awe.

Gray grabbed a handful of the alcoholic gummy bears, he squashed one in between his fingers. "You know what would really be nice. A rose gummi soaked in white rum martini." He popped it into his mouth with no troubles. His dark eyes flashed however, and a smile drew wide on his face.

"Yes. Fuck Yes. I could go for a martini." And he gobbled up another bear. Lucy laughed with her friend as she snacked more on the treat. They even began to play around with the gummi, nipping off the little bear's limbs and playfully screamed as the bear 'cried out in pain'.

"Aaaaaaaaa." Lucy amusedly held the tiny pink bear in her fingers. "P-p-please, I have bear family, we can give you all the porridge you could every ask for." She played out in a high-pitched squeaky voice.

"Then you will reunite once more, in my stomach." Gray then consumed the bear from Lucy's hands.

"Retribution, bitch." Lucy evilly chuckled, although quite woodenly. "Mu-ha-ha-ha-ha…ha, nobody shall mess with the almighty Goldilocks ever again."

"Something feels off though." Levy couldn't put her finger on it.

Gray snickered to himself. He popped the limbless bear and ended its misery. "What? Me being an alcoholic? It's a running joke back where I work."

Levy hummed to herself, her arms crossed, and eyebrows scrunched up in thought. "No, that's not it. Like, something should had happened already?'

"Maybe it's me being the alcoholic?" Lucy suggested. "We were kind of somber before we joined Angel Daggers?"

'That must be the new guild's name, but no… that's not it.' Levy knew that something was misplaced, something crucial in all this.

Gray and Lucy was off on their own conversation. "I guess?" He answered with little confidence. "But I could had sworn I drink a bit here and there."

"Is that me and whiskey-lover are best friends?"

"No, that's not it..."

Erza joined with Levy as they try to conjure up any reasonable conjecture of why there was a sense of emptiness and why was that coming from Gray's actions?

"Maybe it is me? I was more well known for downing a glass of a strawberry milkshake." Lucy pointed it out.

"That makes sense-"

"No..." Levy had solved the puzzle. She couldn't believe herself that she overlooked such a crucial piece and she called herself a Fairy Tail member. "You haven't stripped… not one bit of clothing…"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Oh my gawddddd!" Levy shrieked.

Erza couldn't even believe that she overlooked the one essential character trait of Gray, she had been around for years, since childhood. It didn't even come across to mind that Gray was still fully and decently clothed.

"You haven't taken off your clothes since you came back!" Everyone listening in was surprised, eyes wide and mouths gaped opened. Some even saw jaws dropped to the ground and one was choking on a fly. Erza was shocked, Cana looked like she was witnessing a miracle, and Juvia looked just... devastated.

"... I never noticed." Gray whispered to himself.

"Ha, same." Lucy murmured. "Your admirer looks sad about that." She pointed back with her thumb. "Not that I could blame her. You pecs are just smashing." She busted out laughing and she lifted her glass of water. "I'll climb that and I will drink to that!"

" _Hear-hear_!" Gray happily exclaimed as he laughed along with his blonde-haired friend. He clinked his glass with hers. "And I shall drink this as if I was taking a shot." And he downed the icy beverage in an instant.

"A pretty heavy shot if you asked me." Erza commented as she licked off the sweet vanilla icing from her fork.

"How did you not notice?" Levy asked. "I-I mean, it was your thing for years. It was a daily occurrence, there was a running bet on how it would take before you would be in your boxers again."

Gray shrugged his shoulders. "I never noticed, must be a world record." He chuckled to himself. "Or maybe I re-programed myself to never strip out in an inappropriate setting ever again."

"Wait, that talk with Grayson was about that?" Lucy looked like to have a moment akin to a light-bulb flashing in her head. "When we first arrived? You were his ward." She turned to him, eyebrows raised, and he nodded.

"You know, public indecency? They were kinder given my circumstances, but nobody wants a person randomly flashing themselves out in public. The t-shirt was... indecent at best I guess? But stripping down to my boxers" Gray took a sip, he turned to Lucy. "Imagine if there was a kid. So, Angel Daggers decided I should receive counselling, then boom."

"... Holy shit." Lucy took a moment to process it, she leaned back on her chair as she looked to him. "And I imagine that our guild's court wouldn't take it lightly over Stanger Danger over here."

"Nope." Gray popped at 'p'. "And it was good when they stopped it as soon as they can, might as cut out the rotting root, with a shit-ton of hacking and pesticide."

"So, what guild did you join? The same as the scary woman?" Wendy joined the table, wrapped in her arms was the white Exceed cat, Carla.

"You mean X? Yeah, she can get pretty scary when she wants to be." Gray said with a bit of fear in his voice. He paled a bit; the sentiment was shared with Lucy as well. "But we can't see Angel Daggers without her."

"Is that really her name, or is it what I think it is?" Levy curiosity asked, she couldn't help but remember the distinct X-scar on the serious woman's right cheek.

"It is what you think it is, a nickname that struck around." Lucy asked. "I haven't been there for very long so I don't have a clear backstory behind the name. What I definitely know from the senior members that it isn't because of the x-shaped scar."

'Because that would have been too easy.' Levy thought.

"What's it like, your new guild?" As much as Erza was sadden that the two were no longer Fairy Tail members, she was happy for them nevertheless, that the two truly found what they wanted to do. As long as it wasn't illegal of course.

"It's not your traditional guild per say." Gray waved his hand to emphasis to his point. "It more like an agency. You more or less work for them, instead of you joining the guild and doing whatever you want."

"How so?" Erza asked between her bites of cake.

"You have a boss, management and supervisors. You go to work, you get the assignments from your boss, very rarely you get to pick and choose." He explained with some hand-wavey motions. "That's the gist of it."

'Odd.' Given the previous history at a guild like Fairy, it must had been very jarring to suddenly work in a place that focuses on structure and order. "I never expect that you would work in a place like that..."

"If you came from an establishment like Fairy Tail sure, but you get used to it and it depends on the job you specialise really."

Erza realised something else as well, although she couldn't see it because Gray hasn't once yet stripped, she eyed at the hand where Lucy used to keep her pink mark of Fairy Tail. It was bare. "I don't see your mark."

Lucy rose her eyebrows and looked down at her right hand. "Yeah, I guess I don't..." She fondly smiled, she cupped her right hand with her left. "Our guild isn't like any other traditional guilds, isn't that right Gray."

And he smiled back, he subconsciously placed his hand over his chest, where his Fairy Tail sigma used to be, after years of wearing the mark, gone the moment he and Lucy left the guild. Quickly, the nostalgia and sombre moment was quickly changed when Gray pulled out his communication lacrima device, he opened it up and revealed that it was in a wallet cast.

The black-haired male pulled out a white plastic card out. "We get ID cards instead. The place doesn't really believe in tattooing the mark on your body. It's more offical that way."

On the card, there was a profile picture on the right corner of the man himself looking at the camera with a small frown, although the table knew that it was his neutral face. His formal uniform was clean and straight, rid of any wrinkles, it made him look more serious and professional.

Next to the small picture was his initials, with his name 'Gray Fullbuster' typed in a big bold lettering with more information displayed on the card such as his date of birth. In the middle of the background, there was the faded sigma of a dagger spouting out angelic wings as its handle.

"It makes you feel that you have a job at the Council." Levy noted at the clean front on his card. "Much more structured than us."

The group couldn't help but laugh together, even Erza let out a soft chuckle.

"More. Than. Fairy. Tail. Can. Ever. Be." Lucy laughed between breaths.

Carla from the table beside them couldn't help but think that laughter was hauntingly familiar .


End file.
